Electronic device comprising a wake up module distinct from a core domain

• US 10,001,829 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Cottinet, Jonathan, Bini, Jean Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Prifti, Aurel
• Application Number:
  US14/852,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,011 Days
• Field of Search: 713322, 713323, 713400, 713500, 713300, 704275, 704232, 704231, 704235, 704236, 1 1, 381 56
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0293 having a sub-controller with a low clock frequency switching on and off a main controller with a high clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device includes an appended module coupled to a core having a standby state comprising a first power supply circuit, a first clock and a circuit that recognizes multiple vocal commands timed by the first clock. The appended module includes a second power supply circuit independent of the first power supply circuit, a second clock independent of the first clock and having a frequency lower than that of the first clock, digital unit timed by the second clock including a sound capture circuit that delivers a processed sound signal, and a processing unit configured in order, in the presence of a parameter of the processed sound signal greater than a threshold, to analyze the content of the processed sound signal and to deliver, when the content of the sound signal comprises a reference pattern, an activating signal to the core that can take it out of its standby state.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processing core having a processing core active state and a processing core standby state;

an appended module coupled to the processing core and separate from the processing core, the appended module having an appended module active state and an appended module standby state;

wherein the processing core comprises;

a first power supply circuit;

a first clock; and

a sound recognition circuit configured to recognize multiple vocal commands, the sound recognition circuit being configured to be timed by the first clock; and

wherein the appended module comprises;

a second power supply circuit that is independent of the first power supply circuit, the first power supply circuit further being independent of the second power supply circuit;

a second clock that is independent of the first clock and has a frequency lower than that of the first clock;

a digital processing unit timed by the second clock configured to capture a first sound signal and to deliver a processed sound signal;

a processing unit configured to be timed exclusively by the second clock, the processing unit comprising a clock input that is coupled to the second clock when the appended module is in the appended module active state, and decoupled from the second clock and any other clock signal when the appended module is in the appended module standby state, the processing unit further being configured to, when the appended module is in the appended module active state, analyze content of the processed sound signal and, when the content of the processed sound signal comprises a reference pattern, to deliver an activating signal to the sound recognition circuit of the processing core that can take the processing core out of the processing core standby state, wherein the processing unit is configured to be powered by the second power supply circuit when the appended module is in the appended module standby state and when the appended module is in the appended module active state;

a comparator coupled between the digital processing unit and the processing unit, the comparator being configured to modulate coupling of the clock input of the processing unit to the second clock in response to a comparison of a parameter of the processed sound signal to a threshold; and

a local interconnection circuit coupled to the processing unit, the local interconnection circuit being configured to couple the clock input of the processing unit to the second clock in order to take the appended module out of the appended module standby state and into the appended module active state.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to analyze the content of the processed sound signal in response to the parameter of the processed sound signal being greater than the threshold.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the the appended module is configured to exit from the appended module standby state and enter the appended module active state in response to the parameter of the processed sound signal being higher than the threshold.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the digital processing unit comprises means for capturing the first sound signal.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the digital processing unit comprises a digital microphone.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the digital processing unit further comprises a second digital microphone spaced from the digital microphone, wherein the content of the processed sound signal is analyzed based upon sound signals received the digital microphone and the second digital microphone.

7. A device, comprising:

a processing core having a processing core active state and a processing core standby state;

an appended circuit coupled to the processing core and separate from the processing core, the appended circuit having an appended circuit active state and an appended circuit standby state;

wherein the processing core comprises;

a first power supply circuit;

a first clock; and

a sound recognition circuit configured to recognize multiple vocal commands timed by the first clock; and

wherein the appended circuit comprises;

a second power supply circuit that does not draw power from the first power supply circuit and that does not supply power to the first power supply circuit in the appended circuit active state, the appended circuit standby state, the processing core active state, and the processing core standby state;

a second clock that does not draw a clock signal from or supply the clock signal to the first clock, the second clock having a frequency lower than that of the first clock;

a digital processing unit comprising a microphone and timed by the second clock configured to capture a first sound signal and to deliver a processed sound signal; and

a processing unit configured to analyze content of the processed sound signal and, when the content of the processed sound signal comprises a reference pattern, to deliver an activating signal to the processing core that can take the processing core out of the processing core standby state.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit is configured to analyze the content in response to a parameter of the processed sound signal being greater than a threshold.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit has a standby state and is configured to exit from its standby state in response to the parameter of the processed sound signal being higher than the threshold.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the appended circuit comprises a local interconnection circuit configured to couple the processing unit to the second clock in order to take it out of its standby state.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein the digital processing unit further comprises a second microphone spaced from the microphone, wherein the content of the processed sound signal is analyzed based upon sound signals received from the microphone and the second microphone.

12. A device, comprising:

a processing core having a processing core active state and a processing core standby state;

an appended circuit coupled to the processing core and distinct from the processing core, the appended circuit having an appended circuit active state and an appended circuit standby state;

wherein the processing core comprises;

a first power supply circuit;

a first clock configured to be powered by the first power supply circuit; and

a sound recognition circuit configured to be powered by the first power supply circuit and to recognize multiple vocal commands, the sound recognition circuit being configured to be timed by the first clock; and

wherein the appended circuit comprises;

a second power supply circuit distinct from the first power supply circuit and that does not draw power from the first power supply circuit and that does not supply power to the first power supply circuit in the appended circuit active state, the appended circuit standby state, the processing core active state, and the processing core standby state;

a second clock that does not draw a clock signal from or supply the clock signal to the first clock, the second clock having a frequency lower than that of the first clock;

a digital processing unit configured to be powered by the second power supply circuit, the digital processing unit being configured to be timed by the second clock, to capture a first sound signal, and to deliver a processed sound signal; and

a processing unit configured to analyze content of the processed sound signal and, in response to the content of the processed sound signal comprising a reference pattern, to deliver an activating signal to the processing core that can take the processing core out of the processing core standby state and into the processing core active state.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to analyze the content in response to a parameter of the processed sound signal being greater than a threshold.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit has a standby state and is configured to exit from its standby state in response to the parameter of the processed sound signal being higher than the threshold.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the appended circuit comprises a local interconnection circuit configured to couple the processing unit to the second clock in order to take it out of its standby state.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein the digital processing unit comprises a digital microphone.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the digital processing unit further comprises a second digital microphone spaced from the digital microphone, wherein the content of the processed sound signal is analyzed based upon sound signals received the digital microphone and the second digital microphone.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the digital processing unit is further configured to filter out ambient noise based upon sound signals received the digital microphone and the second digital microphone.

19. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to deliver the activating signal to the processing core in response to a key word being present in the processed sound signal.